Whole Foods Santa Monica Classic - Run5k


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Santa Monica, California
United States
Pacific Sports LLC
70F / 21C
Sunny
 		Total Time = 22m 20s
Overall Rank = 80/909
Age Group = M 35-39
Age Group Rank = 7/54
Pre-race routine:

Up at 5:00, some tea and toast, then hopped in the car and made for the beach.
Event warmup:

Switched to 5K to protect my knee. Haven't been running much at all due to continuing problems with IT Band inflammation. Did some of the active prep exercises from the Core Performance regimen followed by some gentle stretchng.
Run
  • 22m 20s
  • 3.1 miles
  • 07m 12s  min/mile
Comments:

I wanted to to go under 22:00 if possible. I haven't been running much because of ongoing knee issues. Figured I might have enough of a conditioning base to run near LT over 5K. That's what I did basically (Avg HR 168, Max 180), but it felt a bit worse than I would have liked. Some acid in my gut at the 1.5 mi mark forced me to back off from the pace I'd established out of the start. I'm pleased by the way I regathered myself and dug in again for a sprint finish. Unseasonably warm at the beach today. Hot, dry Santa Ana conditions.
What would you do differently?:

Probably should have taken the first mile a bit easier. Was frustrated by the pack in the early going and busted out to find some space. Maybe just go with the flow next time and save a bit more for the second half. I let about 5 or 6 runners go past me after the turn-around and only managed to reel one of those back in.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked back to look for friends. Hydrated and ate some energy bars at the expo.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Chronic knee injury has significantly reduced my training this spring. I had an MRI on Friday, which, I hope, will point the way to recovery.

Event comments:

Second time around for the organizers of this race. Good decision to start the 5K and 10K separately. Much better set up for the expo, too, and a high quality cool-max shirt (thanks, Nike).




Last updated: 2007-04-01 12:00 AM
Running
00:22:20 | 03.1 miles | 07m 12s  min/mile
Age Group: 7/54
Overall: 80/909
Performance: Average
Busted out of the gate and quickly zoomed up to Zone 5 where I stayed for the remainder of the race. Backed off a bit in the second mile when I started to labor, and then built speed again over the final half mile.
Course: Mostly flat with a couple gentle rollers. North along Main Street and Ocean, then back down to the pier.
Keeping cool Average Drinking
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Ok
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4